第41章

"Well, now, were you just saying something, my dear marshal, about some grapes you have brought me?""Yes, indeed," said Natacha, quite frightened, "and what he said isn't pleasant at all.The son of Doucet, the court gardener, has just been poisoned by the same grapes that monsieur le marschal, it appears, brought you.""Where was this? Grapes? What grapes? I haven't seen any grapes!"exclaimed Matrena."I noticed you, yesterday, marshal, out in the garden, but you went away almost immediately, and I certainly was surprised that you did not come in.What is this story?""Well, we must clear this matter up.It is absolutely necessary that we know what happened to those grapes.""Certainly," said Rouletabille, "they could cause a catastrophe.""If it has not happened already," fretted the marshal.

"But how? Where are they? Whom did you give them to?""I carried them in a white cardboard box, the first one that came to hand in Doucet's place.I came here the first time and didn't find you.I returned again with the box, and the general was just lying down.I was pressed for my train and Michael Nikolaievitch and Boris Alexandrovitch were in the garden, so I asked them to execute my commission, and I laid the box down near them on the little garden table, telling them not to forget to tell you it was necessary to wash the grapes as Doucet expressly recommended.""But it is unbelievable! It is terrible!" quavered Matrena."Where can the grapes be? We must know.""Absolutely," approved Rouletabille.

"We must ask Boris and Michael," said Natacha."Good God! surely they have not eaten them! Perhaps they are sick.""Here they are," said the general.All turned.Michael and Boris were coming up the steps.Rouletabille, who was in a shadowed corner under the main staircase, did not lose a single play of muscle on the two faces which for him were two problems to solve.

Both faces were smiling; too smiling, perhaps.

"Michael! Boris! Come here," cried Feodor Feodorovitch."What have you done with the grapes from monsieur le marechal?"They both looked at him upon this brusque interrogation, seemed not to understand, and then, suddenly recalling, they declared very naturally that they had left them on the garden table and had not thought about them.

"You forgot my caution, then?" said Count Kaltzof severely.

"What caution?" said Boris."Oh, yes, the washing of the grapes.

Doucet's caution."

"Do you know what has happened to Doucet with those grapes? His eldest son is dead, poisoned.Do you understand now why we are anxious to know what has become of my grapes?""But they ought to be out there on the table," said Michael.